Not Applicable
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to plumbing fittings, and more particularly to a spout mountable in a medicine cabinet or the like to deliver a stream of water into a lavatory or a sink.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional lavatory has a depressed basin with a drain opening at the bottom that is connected to the waste water pipe of the building in which the lavatory is located. The lavatory is typically supplied with water from a faucet that is mounted on either a rim of the lavatory or a counter adjacent the lavatory. In some applications, a spout projects through a room wall, with a control valve mounted elsewhere on the wall (e.g. a tub filler and shower control). However, that disrupts the wall surface, and is somewhat expensive to install and maintain.
It is also conventional to provide a cabinet, commonly referred to as a xe2x80x9cmedicine cabinetxe2x80x9d, mounted to a bathroom wall above and behind a lavatory (or elsewhere in the bathroom). A mirror is attached to the front of many such medicine cabinets, so that a person can observe his or her face while using the lavatory. In one form of the cabinet, the mirror is attached to a door that is pivotably connected by hinges to the frame of the cabinet. In another type of medicine cabinet, the mirror is divided into sections, each sliding laterally in a bypass configuration past one another in horizontal tracks. The interior of the cabinet has a plurality of shelves for holding toiletries, medicine and other items. It is also known to mount mirrors separately on bathroom walls.
However, it is believed that to date a spout not previously been associated with the medicine cabinet has always been used to supply a lavatory. This has certain disadvantages from an aesthetic standpoint, and may use up extra space.
The present invention pertains to a spout assembly for emitting a stream of liquid. There is a support structure, a mirror attached to the support structure and having an aperture, and a spout passage extending through the aperture in the mirror. There may be a cabinet frame and a door pivotably attached to the cabinet frame, with the mirror being attached to the door.
In one aspect there can be a cabinet frame with a rear face for attachment to a structural member of the building, a front face, a side opening, a first cavity, and a second cavity. The mirror extends across the front face of the cabinet frame, and is mounted on a door that is pivotally attached to the cabinet frame and extends across the front face in a closed state. A spout passage communicates with the second cavity of the cabinet frame in which the plumbing connections are made. For example, a valve with an external control handle extends into the second cavity to control the stream of water from the spout.
Another aspect of the invention relates to a shelf assembly slidably extending through a side opening of the cabinet frame. In a first position, the shelf assembly is received within the cabinet (preferably behind the mirror), and in a second position the shelf assembly projects outwardly from the cabinet frame to allow access to the contents of the shelves. Alternately, a pair of such shelf assemblies can be provided to slide outward from opposite sides of the cabinet.
This type of construction is particularly desirable when there is a spout in the cabinet as the front door of the cabinet need only be opened for maintenance. Thus, the internal operation of the valving and conduits is hidden from view.